A DIY Drill Press Table

A drill press table will add stability and support to the generally too-small tables that come with drill presses. You can build a table out of hardwood or hardwood plywood. You can then clamp your workpieces to the table to make more accurate drilling operations. Also, you can add jigs to the table to customise the set-up for a specific project. Overall, a do-it-yourself drill press table allows you to get the most out of your drill press. Because you are making it yourself, you can adapt the table to the table to fit your specific needs.

Skill level:

Moderate

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Things you need

3/4-inch plywood panel, 8-by-24-inch

3/4-inch plywood panel, 18-by-24-inch

Flathead wood screws

Drill/driver

Pencil

1/4-inch drill bit

Countersink attachment, diameter of bolt head

2 bolts, 1/4-inch diameter

2 nuts, 1/4-inch

4 washers, 1/4-inch

1/4-inch wrench

2 hold down clamps, with screws

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Instructions

1

Place the 3/4-by-18-by-24-inch plywood panel flat on a work surface. This will be the main surface of the drill press table.

2

Position the 3/4-by-8-by-24-inch plywood panel on-edge lengthwise along one side of the larger panel. In this perpendicular position, this piece will act as the fence of your drill press table.

3

Lift the two panels up while holding them in place to access the underside of the table panel. Drive flathead wood screws through the bottom of the table panel through the bottom and up into the fence panel every two inches using a drill/driver with the appropriate bit. This completes the table assembly.

4

Center the table assembly on the drill press' existing metal table. Mark the mounting holes through the underside of the drill press' existing table onto the bottom of the table assembly with a pencil.

5

Attach the countersink attachment to the drill bit by sliding it up the shaft of the bit so that the drilling end starts at the beginning of the drilling part of the shaft. Tighten it in place with the provided Allen wrench.

6

Drill 1/4-inch holes through the table assembly at the two pencil marks with a 1/4-inch drill bit with a countersink attached. Drill through the wood until the countersink attachment has drilled to the depth of the of the bolt head plus 1/16 inch. The countersink attachment opens the top of the hole up wider to allow the head of the bolt to sit below the surface of the wood.

7

Slide a washer onto each bolt and push the bolts through the holes in the top of the table assembly down through the drill press' existing table. The head of the bolt should sit approximately 1/16 inch below the surface of the wood.

8

Put a washer on the bottom end of each bolt and hand-thread a nut onto each bolt. Tighten the bolts with a 1/4-inch wrench.

9

Align one hold-down clamp on the top edge of the fence panel so the hold-down is oriented toward the table panel. Position one clamp 6 inches in from each end of the table assembly. Drive the provided screws through the mounting holes in each hold-down into the fence.